An internal request for $5,500 in USG funds, made by USG president Shawon Jackson ’15 for the 2014 Ivy Policy Conference, did not pass at Sunday night’s Senate meeting.

The motion to approve his request failed with 10 members voting in opposition of the funding, nine in favor and three abstaining.

The Ivy Policy Conference, titled “Identity and Inclusivity: Fostering a Community of Individuals,” will take place at the University from March 28-30.

According to Jackson, the goal of the conference is to bring diverse students leaders from different Ivy League schools together to discuss ideas for improvement on their respective campuses.

The conference will consist of three keynote speeches open to the entire student body and smaller precept discussions for conference participants only.

Jackson said participation in the conference will be determined by application and while preference will be given to elected officials within USG, all University students are eligible to apply.

Before voting, members questioned why a significant portion of the budget breakdown was dedicated to nonconference-related things such as food and T-shirts and whether or not participants were required to pay fees in past years.

Jackson said that in its history, the Ivy Policy Conference has traditionally been free for participants and that the host university generally covers the costs of food and hands out free T-shirts.

While Jackson’s request for funding was not approved, U-Councilor Zhan Okuda-Lim ’15 requested that the revised proposal be put to a vote in public session rather than an online vote.

Additionally, Class of 2015 Senator Nihar Madhavan presented a dining policy update and said the Dining Policy Committee hopes to work on increasing guest meals, meal exchange and dining options for independent students and members of co-ops, as well as publicizing and better communicating with the student body.

U-Council chair Elan Kugelmass ’14 answered questions about the Discipline Report and Student Bill of Rights and said the committee is hoping to investigate “friction areas” between students and the University. Kugelmass said while the goal is to give the undergraduate perspective on the University’s disciplinary system, the committee will not take up the cause of any particular student, violate confidentiality or judge the legality of any particular University action.

During the meeting, Campus and Community Affairs chair Paul Riley ’15 also recapped Violence Intervention and Prevention Week, noting its effectiveness. Jackson suggested that the USG organize the event again next year during the fall to avoid overlap with Mental Health Week.

University Student Life Committee chair Ella Cheng ’16 presented a $1,700 funding request for free fitness classes, which was approved with a large majority.